O27 engines.....

What are some of the steam & diesel engines out there that I could look at to run on O27? And, if one doesn’t say O27, is there a way to determine if it will run on O27? What are the best switches to use to ensure clearance of all engines running?

Thanks for any help with answers to these questions - I’m still new to this.

drums,

The Lionel starter set locos (4-4-2) work well on 027. The Lionel 0-6-0 and simillar locos also work well. Same with several MTH locos from their starter sets. Once you move up a notch, best to test it out at your hobby shop or ask someone here for their experience. So if there is a particular loco you are interested in, tell us what it is and someone here should be able to give you some feedback.

BTW - forgot to add about the switches. If your goal is to stay with the “traditional” size rolling stock and locos that work on 027, then most manufacturers switches will work fine for you. It is when you start to use the longer rolling stock (i.e. greater than 12" long) where you will need to do some investigation.

If your goal is to eventually expand into the more scale sized items, I recommend you start out with a larger radius offering (036 and above). This way you are making the track investment only once.

Regards,
Roy

Drums,
Take a look at Williams trains. They do a lot of remakes of the older O27 type sets. They also have great pricing. I think most, if not all of their stuff runs on the O27.
Dennis